I have a friend who has asked me to help him choose a bike, on the basis that I am a keen cyclist. However he has a max budget of £300, and I suspect he would like to spend significantly less.

Being a keen cyclist I would probably find it easier to choose him a bike for £1000 than £300, however. In that price range they all seem quite similar, and the recent price hikes mean that you don’t seem to get much for your money.

So, STW, are there any bargains or ‘obvious choices’ in the <£300 price range, or should I just trawl Evans etc. discount section, and painfully compare the bikes component by component.. Acera vs Alivio blah blah blah..?

Apparently it needs to be able to go off road (not to be confused with mountain biking), and handle a 5mile commute (predominantly road).

Thanks all!

Decathlon have a lot of sub £300 bikes and always seem good value

2nd hand if he’s not too snobby

2nd Decathlon, their sub £300 bikes are very good VFM. They are proper bikes rather than bike shaped objects.

Worth a look at EBC as well – good value generally

for example
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?f_ProductID=13003&f_SupersetQRY=C431&f_SortOrderID=1&f_bct=c003155c018333c018337

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?f_topmenu=3155&f_SupersetQRY=&f_SortOrderID=1&f_bct=c003155

cheap cheap

Put an ad in the ‘wanted’ forum and see what’s around – best bang for buck whatever type of bike he’s after.

Thanks guys, useful. Although I doubt hell be bothered with going second hand (even if it would be the best thing).

Specialized Hardrock is always a good place to start.